DOE & SBA Launch Great Programs for Minnesota Entrepreneurs as Part of Startup America

“Startup America” is a White House initiative to celebrate, inspire, and accelerate high-growth entrepreneurship throughout the nation. This coordinated public/private effort brings together an alliance of the country’s most innovative entrepreneurs, corporations, universities, foundations, and other leaders, working in concert with a wide range of federal agencies to dramatically increase the prevalence and success of America’s entrepreneurs.

America’s Next Top Energy Innovator: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has launched the “America’s Next Top Energy Innovator” challenge, which offers start-up companies the ability to license, at a reduced rate of $1000, technologies developed by the national laboratories. As part of the program, DOE is reducing both the cost and paperwork requirements for start-up companies to license one of the more than 15,000 unlicensed patents and patent applications currently held by the national laboratories. The deadline for submitting an application is December 15, 2011. Learn more >>

Entrepreneurial Mentor Corps for Clean Tech Startups The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has launched an Entrepreneurial Mentor Corps Clean Energy Pilot Program that will provide funding to four “private business accelerators” that will match 100 startup companies with experienced business and entrepreneurial mentors. SBA is partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy and its Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) on the program. New “mentee small businesses” are now being accepted into the program. Because the program is limited to 100 mentee businesses, early application is encouraged. Learn more >>